The recently released May edition of Exhibition News includes an article by Phil Vann, Managing Director at Interchange Communications, asking the question “Is social media based registration the future?” Vann answers the question with a resounding “YES.”
Vann makes the point that social media is clearly both a present reality and the future of communication. Social registration is not just a way to pre-fill registration forms but a powerful marketing tool that can be used to create advocates for the event.

"Having a "use your LinkedIn account to register" module on your online registration form without any other functionality is a bit like having Twitter and Facebook links but no-one in your ogranisation to deliver your Tweets and look after communication - pointless."

Vann further points out that “Your social media registration should, apart from the obvious population of the registration form, do the following:

Alert friends and business associates of the intention to attend via Social Posting

Invite their friends and business associates via Social Emails

Look at who is attending the event and network with them

Arrange meetings at the event with other potential attendees ‘meet me at the bar’”

Vann concludes his article with another question: Will The Photography Show achieve the same outstanding results with InGo as other shows? Since the piece went to print, the Photography Show results have come in. We caught up with Phil and asked him if he could answer his own question. Vann’s response was another resounding “YES!”

Stay tuned to this blog for a Photography Show case study for even more details.